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Axe
/ | special = . All attack bonuses apply also to (if present). | item_melee = , , , | item_mana = | item_enchantments = | artifact_melee = , , , , , , | artifact_to_hit = | artifact_mana = | artifact_enchantments = }} An Axe is a type of Magical Item which can be equipped on any Hero possessing an appropriate slot. The bonuses on the Axe will enhance that Hero's performance, particularly his/her Melee Attack and Thrown Attack (if already present). As with any Magical Item, Axes can have a total mix of up to 4 different bonuses and/or Item Powers. Axes differ from other melee weapons thanks to a much-higher potential bonus. All attack bonuses on an Axe also apply to the Hero's , if he/she already has one, making this the preferred weapon for such Heroes. On the other hand, Axes can provide no bonuses, and are slightly limited in available bonuses. As with any other melee weapon, Axes can receive Item Powers that alter the Hero's attack, making it more dangerous in one way or another. Very few Axes will alter a Hero's Ranged Attack or other attack types (if he/she has any at all), and that is always thanks to specific Item Powers. Description The Axe originates from prehistoric cutting tools, used for splitting wood and bone. Its heavy head with its sharp edge is struck straight into an object, lodging itself deep into the object and forming a deep gash. Repeated hacking eventually causes the object to split. Our ancestors quickly learned that the same principle can be used to split open someone's head as well. The Axe is a brutal weapon, entirely offensive by nature. In fact, many warriors will hurl Axes at their opponents before even making contact, thus delivering preemptive damage. The Basic Item The Axe is one of many possible Magical Item types in Master of Magic. Magical Items can be Crafted by a wizard (tailored to the specific needs of a Hero under the wizard's employ), or found as rewards for defeating a suitably-dangerous Encounter (in which case the item already has a set of pre-defined bonuses). Any Axe can be equipped on a Hero, if said Hero possesses an appropriate weapon slot. Axes can only fit into the following slots: : Sword Slot : Bow Slot : Sword & Staff Slot Heroes that do not possess any of the above slots may never be equipped with an Axe. When any Axe is equipped on a Hero, that Hero's becomes a . The only effect this has is that the Hero no longer triggers any Weapon Immunity possessed by target creatures when making a Melee Attack on those creatures. It does not confer a bonus like confer to Normal Units. Any additional attack-related bonuses or Item Powers imbued into an Axe will apply both to the Hero's and to his/her , if one already exists. This is the only weapon that improves two types of attacks simultaneously, and thus is extremely valuable for Heroes that possess both these attack types. Note that a few specific Item Powers have a complex effect that can end up altering the Hero's Ranged Attack and/or Breath Attack as well, if he/she has any. Crafting an Axe It is possible to create a new Axe (like any other Magical Item) using the Item Crafting process. This is initiated by casting either the Enchant Item spell or the Create Artifact spell, though there are differences in the potential strength of the new Axe depending on which spell is chosen. During Item Crafting it is possible to select an Axe as the type of Magical Item being created. This sets the default cost of casting the item-crafting spell to . Once the Axe is selected, the Item Crafting menu will show all bonuses and Item Powers that can be imbued into it. Click the desired options to add them to the weapon, or click a selected option to remove it. Regardless of which item-crafting spell was selected, an Axe can only take up to 4 different bonuses and/or Item Powers - just like any other item in the game. Each additional bonus will increases the value of the item by a set amount. The more powerful the bonus or enchantment, the more it raises the item's value (see list below). An item with higher value costs more to create, and thus may take more than one turn to complete. The primary advantage that Axes have over other Melee weapons is that any Attack Strength bonuses on an Axe apply both to the Hero's and (if already present). Furthermore, Axes have a very high potential Attack Strength bonus, at least when using the Create Artifact spell. On the other hand, regardless of which spell is used, the Axe cannot take any bonuses, and thus may not be suitable for a Hero who requires heavier defenses. As a result, an Axe is not the most suitable weapon for low-level Heroes, except when the Hero possesses a . Enchant Item The Enchant Item spell limits the strength of the bonuses that can be imbued into an Axe, and also the types of Item Powers that can be added to it. Due to these limitations, an Axe created with Enchant Item does not have the same potential as a Sword - though it does still confer a great advantage for Heroes with . If the Hero does not possess such an attack, he/she may be better off with a Sword - especially if bonuses are desirable. Available Bonuses Available Item Powers Create Artifact The Create Artifact spell allows Axes to be imbued with much more powerful bonuses and/or Item Powers. Certain limitations still apply, based mainly on the type and number of Spellbooks you possess, and the amount of you wish to spend on creating the item. When using Create Artifact, there is merit to creating any kind of melee weapon. Unlike with Enchant Item (see above), Swords, Maces and Axes each have some advantage over the others. As mentioned earlier, the Axe has high potential bonuses, and they also apply to the Hero's (if present), giving a lot of brute offensive strength. The downside is that the Axe has no available bonuses whatsoever, and is also limited to a slightly lower maximum bonus. Thus it is often a good weapon for Heroes who have either Agility, a strong piece of armor, and/or a (defense through pre-emptive damage). The Create Artifact spell is not inherently more expensive than Enchant Item, it only allows purchasing more expensive bonuses and Item Powers. It is possible to create the same (low-value) Axe with both spells at no extra cost. Thus, if Create Artifact is available, there is no reason to use Enchant Item at all. Available Bonuses Available Item Powers Acquiring a Pre-Defined Axe The game data files contain 250 items that were designed by Simtex - each with its own pre-set name, bonuses and/or Item Powers. 26 of these items are Axes. There are three different ways by which you can acquire one of these pre-defined Axes: * By winning a difficult Encounter. * By purchasing it from a traveling Item Merchant. * As result of a random Event called "The Gift". It is often better to acquire items in this way, as it means you do not need to spend any time or to create them. However, since the offered item is chosen at random, and since all 250 items have pre-defined bonuses and enchantments, you may or may not receive an item that's really suitable to your needs. Furthermore, many of the pre-defined items possess Item Powers that cannot legally be added to them via Item Crafting. Axes as Treasure Whenever an Encounter zone of sufficient difficulty level is cleared of its initial defenders, the winning army may receive an Axe (or any other Magical Item) as a reward. The game may select (at random) any item whose total value does not exceed the remaining treasure points given by the Encounter. Thus, the more difficult the Encounter, the more potential there is to receive a high-value item. If the selected item's value is significantly lower than the remaining treasure points, the game will try to select additional rewards (possibly more items). Axes from Item Merchants Item Merchants have a certain chance to appear at the start of any overland turn. This chance is primarily influenced by the wizard's current score. When the roll dictates that a Merchant should appear, the game selects an item at random from the entire list of all 250 pre-set items. Item Merchants will only offer the selected item if the wizard has 3 times as much as the value of the item itself. Charismatic wizards need only 1.5 times as much as the item's value, since they pay half-price for any item. If you lack sufficient Gold at the start of the turn, the Item Merchant will simply not appear this turn. Axes as Gifts Finally, an Event called "The Gift" may occur at random at the start of any overland turn, bestowing an Axe (or any other Magical Item) to your wizard, for no cost whatsoever. This event can choose any of the 250 pre-defined items, including any of the 26 available Axes. List of Pre-Defined Axes Below is a list of each Axe present in the default game-data files. The ItemMake program which is supplied with the game allows users to alter the list of pre-set items at will: you can change any of these items (within the same constraints as those of a Create Artifact spell), add new ones, or remove existing ones from the list. Therefore the list below may or may not match your game-files. * This Item Power cannot be added to an Axe when Crafting Items. For explanations on what it does, see the Item Crafting article. Category:Magical Items Category:Axes